On Friday, April 14, 2000, Joe American Horse
announced on KILI Radio that to be sovereign the tribe must act
sovereign, so accordingly, he will plant industrial hemp seeds
on April 29, 2000 to advance the authority of the Oglala Sioux
Tribe in the matter of jurisdiction over tribal lands.

Stating the USA does not make treaties with
ethnic minorities but only with other sovereigns, American Horse
said he is prepared to exercise the self-determination inherent
in the Oglala Sioux Tribe as a successor government under the
Treaty of 1868.

Please distribute this press release far and
wide.

WHEN: April 29, 2000
WHERE: Pine Ridge Reservation
WHO: Slim Butte Land Use Association/Kiza Tiospaye
WHAT: Tribal Members are implementing a Tribal Ordinance passed
in 1998 that allows cultivation of industrial hemp on the Reservation.

On Saturday April 29, 2000, the 132nd anniversary
of the signing of the Treaty of 1868, members of the Oglala Sioux
Tribe will plant industrial hemp at various locations on the Reservation.
In July 1998, the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council passed an ordinance
defining industrial hemp as distinct from marijuana (which is
a controlled substance under tribal law). The ordinance provides
for the cultivation and harvesting of industrial hemp on the Reservation.

The Slim Butte Land Use Association, which
spearheaded the effort to initiate industrial hemp production
on the Reservation, looks forward to the sustainable aspects of
the crop. "It is very important to us that we be able to
grow a crop that allows us to live in balance with Mother Earth,"
says Loretta Afraid-of-Bear Cook, Chair of the Slim Butte LUA,
"Hemp does not require any chemicals and it allows us to
start taking care of our people ourselves." The landowner
association is in the latter stages of building a house with materials
primarily of industrial hemp. While lack of adequate housing is
a problem on most reservations, it is particularly challenging
on Pine Ridge where tornadoes and heavy winds frequently destroy
homes. President Bill Clinton acknowledged the severity of the
housing shortage during his visit to Pine Ridge last summer, saying
"There is no more crucial building block for a strong community
and a promising future than a solid home."

"Industrial hemp is the key component
to sustainable housing," said Tom Cook, LUA Project Director
for the house building project. "We make hemp-based concrete
that is lighter, stronger and easier to work with than masonry
concrete," he said, "Not only that, but we are putting
people to work here on the reservation with good jobs." The
house building project has employed eight people, and the Slim
Butte LUA intends to market its "Hempcrete" blocks to
the building industry. In addition, the LUA seeks to set up a
handmade paper making operation that will use parts of the hemp
that do not go into the block making.

"The people used to have the buffalo for
our food, clothing and shelter," said Joe American Horse,
Program Manager for Slim Butte LUA and former President of the
Oglala Sioux Tribal Council, "now hemp can do that for us."
American Horse, whose grandfather was one of the signers of the
Treaty of 1868, explains, "What we are talking about is industrial
hemp; it is not a drug. In addition to providing Lakota people
an economic base, the cultivation of industrial hemp will reduce
our reliance on diminishing natural resources and contribute to
global ecological health. This is a way we can help our people
and our environment." Currently, American Horse serves as
the Public Relations Officer for the Oglala Sioux Tribe.

When asked about the potential legal ramifications
of the planting, Slim Butte LUA attorney Thomas J. Ballanco said,
"The right to cultivate industrial hemp on the reservation
is a secured treaty right. Hemp was grown all around here in the
1800s." Ballanco, a West Point graduate who authored the
tribal ordinance expects no interference from the federal government.
"This issue does not concern the U.S. government. Here we
have a tribe exercising a sovereign treaty right to provide jobs,
homes and sustainability on the reservation." Commenting
on fellow West Pointer, and federal Drug Czar, Gen. (Ret.) Barry
McCaffrey's expected response, Ballanco said, "If they teach
cavalry officers anything at West Point, it is to listen to your
scouts, especially in Sioux country," said Ballanco, himself
a former Army scout. Making reference to West Pointer George Custer
who was wiped out along with his entire command in the battle
of Little Bighorn after he failed to listen to the scouts who
warned him not to attack. "I advised the tribe and the individual
members that this a legally protected treaty right," said
Ballanco. "If the General has a problem with this activity,
then he can take that up with me and not the tribe or its members."

American Horse said he is following up on the
last words Clinton told the Pine Ridge people: "We are doing
everything we can to make your empowerment zone work. But remember,
there is nothing that we can do except to help you to realize
your own dreams. So I say to every tribal leader here, we must
share the vision and it must be fundamentally yours ­ for
your children and their future. If you will give us that vision
and work with us, we will achieve it."

"Seeds for Sovereignty" is the phrase
used by Joe American Horse explaining the activities on April
29, 2000 regarding the planting of industrial hemp by members
of the Oglala Sioux, Slim Buttes Land Use Authority. American
Horse is a former Chief and currently serves as Program Manager
for the Slim Buttes LUA, and as Public Relations Officer for the
Oglala Sioux Tribe. On Aril 29, 132 years ago Joe American Horse's
grand father signed the Treaty of 1868, granting sovereign status
to their nation.

The chief told me that hemp has grown on their
land at least since the 1840's when a Jesuit Missionary Priest
introduced the crop. Ironically, hemp still grows "wild"
on the Reservation, probably feral remnants of that early hemp
culture. Then obviously, hemp was grown here some twenty years
before the signing of the Treaty.

Chief American Horse spoke clearly of the need
to advance the authority of the Oglala Sioux Tribe by exercising
their own rights, according to the needs and wishes of their own
people.

On the morning of April 29th, members of the
Slim Buttes LUA, community members, friends, and other interested
parties gathered at the Hemp House to commemorate this historic
occasion. Tom Cook is Project Director at the Hemp House, an experimental
structure being built using their own resources whenever possible.
The project has also provided construction jobs for community
members. The house is being built for Ernest Afraid of Bear, a
71 year old, tribal elder and spiritual leader. Because his age
prohibits him from being approved for mortgage financing, necessary
to build or buy a conventional home, the Tribe has decided to
provide the home for his shelter. This Hemp House project is intended
to remedy that situation and to provide an example of how to build
simple, durable, and affordable housing for residents of the Tribe.

The exterior of the Hemp House is progressing
with the installation of the hemp-based building blocks, which
make up the exterior of the home. Piled on pallets are three examples
of blocks formulated by Tom Cook as hemp building materials. The
first is an earth-clay brick with aggregate and hemp fiber reinforcement,
which has been used for the lower course-work. The other two types
of block are cementatious products, using no mineral aggregate,
but having chopped hemp-stalks as the reinforcing matrix. Using
type N cement creates a porous block about 6" x 12"
x 36" long which looks as if it has great thermal and acoustic
insulating properties. The third block prototype, using type S
cement, yields a block of like dimensions, but with a smooth hard
finish. These blocks look exactly like finished concrete but are
much lighter and stronger than plain concrete. One of these large
units can be lifted and placed by a single worker whereas solid
concrete would be much too heavy for even two people to lift.
Tom and his crew manufacture these materials in his backyard facility,
from hemp imported from Canada. Certainly, the promise of building
residences using renewable, strong, durable and locally produced
materials is an idea that makes a lot of sense to the Community.
The LUA plans to expand this industry and to market these building
products after ASME testing has been accomplished. This is just
one of the many possible uses for hemp in establishing a sustainable
industry and for providing for the basic housing needs of the
Tribe.

Tom Cook's white pick-up led the caravan of
vehicles away from the Hemp House, to the road, and along a series
of back roads, tracks and jeep trails to the site of the first
sowing. In the back of Tom's truck rested a pail of hemp seed,
awaiting the planting ceremony. Joe Hickey explained that these
seeds were "wild gathered" from a remnant population
of "Kentucky Hemp", a result and culmination of the
United States hemp breeding program conducted during the Twenties.
He deemed this variety a likely candidate for adaptation and acclimatization
to local conditions. The plots are planted in a grid pattern with
greater spacing than if grown strictly for fiber production. The
cultivators will wish to increase their seed stock and develop
an industrial hemp variety suited to their methods and growing
conditions.

Then the time of the actual planting arrived,
but Chief American Horse called the attention of the assembled
group. He explained that nearly every endeavor, in their culture,
is required to have a spiritual governing, and that a prayer would
be offered before the sowing.

Ernest Afraid of Bear delivered the prayers
in the Lakota language. Even if the words were not understood
by some of us, it was clear that the hemp seed, the earth, and
the people were all the intended recipients of this blessing.
And this was not the chant of rite or rote, that we may associate
with a typical church prayer. The solemnity of the blessing was
merged with the momentous importance of the occasion; sweet- grass
was burned.

The LUA members were present; Chief Joe American
Horse, Tom Cook, Loretta Afraid of Bear- Cook, Solomon Red Bear,
and "Aunt Bea" (elder and spiritual advisor), who all
proceeded to plant the recently prepared field. The smaller field
was soon seeded to the prescribed grid pattern, and Chief American
Horse again called the attention of the group. These 40 acres
of Tribal lands are designated to be used for experimental industrial
hemp studies. He lamented the fact that wheat and cattle prices
have declined so sharply that it is no longer profitable to engage
in such pursuits. Therefore, the Tribe has several other plans
for sustainable agriculture and husbandry, besides hemp, one of
which is the establishing of a buffalo herd. Other plans provide
for a wind powered electrical generating facility and even tourism,
as "bed and breakfast" establishments are created. The
goals are sustainable living and more self-determination for the
Tribal community.

Chief American Horse, when asked what his grandfather
would have thought about their industrial hemp program, said,
"I think he would have been proud." While living under
the terms of their relationship with the United States Federal
government has not always been productive or beneficial to the
Oglala Sioux, he stated, "We're not trying to break the law
or get anyone in trouble." He told me later that he plans
to move a trailer onto a place over looking this site, in order
to keep a sharp eye on the goings on hereabouts. Therefore security
is well at hand and the welfare of the crop will be assured.

Then the assemblage packed up again and proceeded
to the next site at another remote and distant location. The assortment
of vehicles and their riders finally arrived at the home of Alex
White Plume. After some conversation with those at the house,
Tom shouted, "He's down in the field planting hemp!"
When we all arrived down there, indeed, half of the plot had already
been planted.

Alex is the head of a clan or extended family,
which has some 4,000 acres within the Reservation. He took a break
from his planting to welcome the guests. The seedbed here was
prepared from the first plowing of virgin sod and has a wonderful
fineness that should speed germination of the seed. Here too,
a trailer has been moved near the plot, so that Alex's niece can
guard the larger garden. Alex explained that this hemp growing
venture had been approved by the brothers and sisters of the family.
Also, he has assembled a "society to keep the peace"
consisting of some 23 young men, who oversee the general welfare
of the community group and their interests, including their hemp
fields. Although one of their responsibilities might include "keeping
the Feds out", Alex also expressed a willingness to cooperate
and even escort officials of other government agencies, such as
the American DEA, if they have an interest in or concern of the
Tribe's affairs.

Alex went on to describe some of their plans
for sustainability that his group has in mind. Currently, they
are using timber harvested from their land as fence posts for
containing the proposed buffalo herd. This represents a savings
of 75% over materials obtained from outside sources. Additionally,
they are growing "naturalized" Echinacea (the purple
coneflower) herb and increasing it from seed, whereby it will
be a marketable medicinal product. He says it grows really well
here, as it should since the plant is native to these Prairies,
and all parts of the plant were traditionally used by Native people.
Many hemp product companies have expressed a desire to buy the
oil seed products from industrial hemp grown on the Reservation,
to be used in manufacturing everything from cosmetics to tortilla
chips.

The next plan will be to develop a strategy
for their first hemp harvest. They plan to include the whole tribal
community, as much as possible, in the actual harvest and as their
five- year program progresses, any profits from hemp will go to
the community.

As a cool breeze swept over the valley and
dark clouds formed in the sky, planting the remaining half of
the hemp field was resumed with many people helping to get the
hemp seed planted. Even the dogs and children came down to the
field to see what all the excitement was about. Everyone seemed
happy and optimistic about the future of the industrial hemp project,
and we should be grateful to the Oglala Sioux people for their
guidance in showing the way.

The dark clouds continued to build, signifying
not gloom, but the rains necessary for the birth and growth of
the future hemp crop. Then the group broke up; some to return
to Tom's house, some to stay here, and some of us prepared to
leave this land of dreams and vision, to return to that other
nation where reality is more elusive. Then I was struck by the
simple truth of this enterprise: Finally, an experimental hemp
program based on good common sense.